


Exile

by Raineywrites



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27958112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raineywrites/pseuds/Raineywrites
Summary: It’s becoming overwhelmingly clear that Dream doesn’t care who he hurts. He doesn’t care what happens to people. He wants power, anyone who got in his way would be torn apart. It doesn’t matter how young they are, it doesn’t matter if Dream is supposed to love them. He exiled tommy, neglects his little sister, ignores the boy he’s meant to love.Will he get his way it will it catch up to him
Relationships: Clay | Dream/Floris | Fundy, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound
Comments: 1
Kudos: 226





	1. Betrayal at it’s finest

“What are you doing Tommy?” Wilbur watched his brother attempt to set up a tent. “Tommy?”

The last few days he was having more trouble keeping focused. He would get things done, like making food and starting fires to cook. He had energy for his basic needs. He wasn’t even totally sure why he was even trying anymore. He felt alone. Wilbur was there, but it didn’t feel the same. When your only friend doesn’t have a heartbeat. It’s even worse when he’s your dead brother. 

“Tommy, I’m starting to worry about you. You're not quite yourself lately.” He commented as Tommy threw the last peg to the ground in frustration. 

Dropping himself to the ground. At least he was able to make a fire right. 

“Things tend to change when your best friend stabs you in the back.” 

His words dripped with pain, he was losing himself. Wilbur didn’t like the way he was talking. Staring into the fire like he was zoning out again, maybe he was zoning out. Perhaps he just wanted to be left alone. 

“He only did it to protect l’manburg.” Shaking his head as he got up. Wilbur followed as Tommy picked up his sword. “Tommy, I’m sure tubbo still cares about you.” 

“Then why hasn’t he come to see me?” He stopped and turned to face the ghost that stood in his brother's place. “Why do you even care.” 

“Because I care about you Tommy. And you care about tubbo. You can say you don’t all you want but I know he holds a very special place in your heart.” 

“Because I trusted him.” Pointing the tip of his sword against his chest, there wasn’t much resistance. He was dead. Wilbur could move and touch things, sometimes Tommy could hit him as well. But never any permanent damage. “I thought he cared about the discs too. It was supposed to be me and tubbo against the world.” 

Wilburs cold heart started to break for his little brother. He couldn’t stand to see him in so much pain. He didn’t feel physical pain, Tommy could hurt him all he wanted. 

If that’s what Tommy wanted. 

“Now it can be you and me against the world.”

He said in an effort to make him feel better. To know he’s not truly alone. He wasn’t sure why he was still in this world. Maybe it was to help Tommy, he wasn’t sure but he would try.

“It’s not the same.” 

“I know.” 

Tommy didn’t think when he said that. Surely if Wilbur was still alive it would have hurt. But Wilbur was convinced that he needed to help Tommy through this so he didn’t take it to heart. 

“I miss when you were alive.” The sun has set, his second day in exile and it was still fresh. Like this exile was bringing up emotions he never really felt with. 

“How come?” 

They walked in the silence of the night. They could hear the mobs around them, but they were far enough that Tommy’s life wasn’t in danger yet. Looking at Tommy he had a new scar. Probably got into a tussle with an animal or he cut himself on a branch. 

“I don’t know. I miss being able to hug you.” He admitted. He had many different emotions washing over him at any given moment. “Sorry.” 

“Don't apologize.” He shook his head. Stopping when Tommy did. “It’s okay.” 

It got quiet as Tommy began collecting food. Wilbur was sitting beside him and telling him a story about a strong knight who stood proud to defend his nation, even in death. Tommy was a little uneasy with how similar it felt to when Wilbur died. Wilbur was given the option of surrender or death, so he chose death. Dream pushed him to that, maybe that was also why Tommy hated Dream so much. He didn’t have this hatred for Dream because Dream got him exiled. He hated Dream for all he’s done. He took Wilbur away, he was still here but he wasnt alive. He took the discs and put up that stupid wall. He ripped him away from tubbo.

Dragging the food he collected back to his camp site, looking over at the dirt hut that his bed and chest sat. Wilbur finished his story ages ago. Having it ended with the knight dying and keeping the prince company in his after life. It led Tommy to speculate if he remembered more than he let on. He wasn’t going to say anything. Maybe Wilbur was just confusing memories for creativity. 

“Tommy?” 

“Yeah?” He didn’t look up from where he was getting the meat ready to cook. Wilbur didn’t answer him. “What?” 

“Dream is here.” Wilbur was looking at the water, a boat was approaching the edge. Right where Tommy’s tent was set up. Well if you could really consider this mess of sticks and cloth a tent. “Do you want me to stay?” 

“I can’t really control what you do ghostbur.” Letting a sigh leave his lips as he put his sword and axe away. “But I would appreciate it if you did.” 

“Then I will.”

He smiled as if he has done nothing wrong, ever. Well ghostbur hasn’t done any wrong. He was unbelievably kind and caring, he didn’t blow up l’manburg. Alivebur did.

Tying his boat to the log Tommy had placed there, dream removed his helmet as he approached the camping area. 

“Surprised you havent taken residence in the village.” Dream spoke as if he was still good friends with Tommy, like he wasn’t exiled. “Would probably be warmer than sleeping out here.” 

“There’s not a lot I can call mine anymore. My home will be one of them.” He bit back, dream was having too much fun with this. 

“If that’s how you want to live.” He shrugged while he held his helmet agaisnt his hip. Going to poke Tommy’s fire with his sword, stopping when the exiled grabbed the blade. 

“Dont.” 

“It just looks a little low, let me help you.” 

“I don’t want anything from you.” Pushing the blade away as he let go. 

Wilbur was as looking at Tommy’s hand. Of course it started bleeding. Dream always kept his weapons as sharp as he could, and Tommy was numb. 

“Tommy, your hand.” 

“I’m fine ghostbur.” Shaking his head before digging around in his chest to get a stray peice of cloth. “What are you even doing here dream?” 

“Came you check on you.” He paused to looked around the campsite. “Since no one else has.” 

“Dream don’t be so mean.” Wilbur frowned as he spoke. “People will come to see him.” 

“Are you sure about that?” 

“Yes I’m quite certain.” He nodded, standing between Dream and his brother. As if he could do something to protect him. “People still care about him.” 

“Then why hasn’t anyone come to see him?” Dream questioned, it didn’t sound like a question. Stepping around Wilbur he went to look in the chest that Tommy had. 

“For all I know you made illegal for them to come see me.” 

“I would never take away someone’s free will.” Dream sounded offended, shaking his head while he pulled out armour. He ticked his tongue a few times, like Tommy had misbehaved. “What’s this Tommy? Didnt I tell you to put all your things in the pit yesterday?” 

“Put it back.” He tried to take it from him, but Dream  
over powered him. Placing his hand flat on the kids chest, he pushed him away. “I found that myself.” 

“Did you?” 

“I did.” 

“I don’t believe you.” Dream looked in his chest again. “And a sword?” 

“You said i had to give up my diamond plated stuff, you never said I couldn’t make my own armour out of stuff I’ve found.” 

“Well I wouldn’t want you attempting to fight back.” Kneeling down to get close, trying to scare him. “How do I?” 

Tommy shook his head. At this point it was better to just agree than to have his situation end up worse for him. 

“Good.” He got up and took his armour and sword to the pit. The same pit he destroyed his armour when he first got here. “Wilbur do you have anyhting of worth?” 

“No.” He answered back while he helped Tommy off the ground. Dusting off his back. 

Dream proceeded to destroy Tommy’s stuff again, dumping it all in before using another explosive to blow it to bits. 

“Is that all you wanted to do? Come here and destroy my things? I can’t even get back to l’manburg if I wanted to! You exiled me. Just leave me alone.” 

“Correction.” Dream held up a finger. “Tubbo exiled you.” 

That set him off, Dream was only here to piss him off. Lunging forward he threw a punch the best he could. He was thinner and weaker than Dream, but he has nothing to lose. His shoulders were lifting up and down faster now,his breathing was getting heavier. He partly regretted it since he knew Dream wasn’t going to let him off easy, but he needed to get this anger out. Watching as Dream rubbed his jaw where Tommy had hit him. He let a crooked smile cross his lips. 

“Gotta admit it Tommy, your swings are getting better.” He cracked his knuckles. “Might have to break your hands to prevent this little outburst.” 

“Dream!” Wilbur shouted, he was in shock. “How can you say that! He’s just a boy.” 

“A boy who needs to learn a lesson.” 

“Dont you dare touch him!” Putting himself infront of Tommy to protect him, not that he could do much to protect him. 

Tommy was his little brother, he wasn’t going to let Dream break any bones. Flesh wounds he could help tend to. He had no idea how to fix broken bones. 

“Your lucky you a ghost Wilbur.” Dream stepped forward, it seemed Wilbur lost his ability to be a physical entity when his emotions were high. He stepped right through the ghost. “However Tommy is not.” 

Tommy waited for the blow of his fist, and it came. It hurts a lot more than he was prepared for. It almost knocked him off his feet but he was trying to hold his ground. 

“Someone’s getting brave.” Dream laughed, Tommy hated his laugh. It sounded like he was playing some sick game. “Too bad your not strong enough to actually fight back.” 

Tommy was convinced his nose was broken, the second punch hurt so much more. That one knocked him off his feet. He debated staying in the dirt, the cold ground was more comforting than anything else right now. However he got up, he had to. Dream already took so much away from him, he wasn’t going to take away his pride. 

“Fuck you.” He spat at him, it didn’t hit him. It landed at his feet. The light from the fire showed blood mixed with his spit. “That didn’t even hurt.” 

“I think brave was the wrong word to use. I think the word I was looking for was stupid.” 

Sending another blow to Tommy’s stomach, when Tommy tried to get up his boot connected with the ribs. Watching tommy cough as he sighed. 

“Do us all a favour and stay down.” 

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” Tommy shook his head. 

“Tommy please stop.” Wilbur begged. “It’s not going to solve anything to have him keep hurting you.” 

“Whatever.” 

“I should be heading back, I have a meeting with tubbo.” Dream hummed a little. “I’m sure he would love to hear about your little attempted to fight me.” 

“Your a terrible person.” Tommy was holding back tears now. “All I wanted was to have my disks back. And you refused.” 

“You burned George’s house down! You should have thought about that.” 

“You exiled me!” 

“Your actions comes with consequences.” Dreams tone was getting more serious again and his voice was louder. Tommy wasn’t getting it. Reaching down he grabbed a fist full of the kids shirt. 

“Your just an old man with nothing better to do than to mess with a bunch of kids.” 

“First of all, I’m not that old.” He defended himself. “Second of all, I have to manage you dumb kids. You do stupid things then get surprised when I have to put my foot down. Maybe I should pay dear old dad a visit, tell him he needs to get better at raising kids.” 

“Leave him alone, hes not apart of this.” Tommy wasn’t going to let himself cry infront of Dream. “Touch him and I swear I’ll-“ 

“You’ll what? Your exiled remeber. You can’t do anything.” Throwing him to the ground. “Dont try to threaten me. You did that once and look where that got you.” 

Wilbur tried to help Tommy but his hands went right through him, he couldn’t touch Tommy. Wilbur wanted nothing more than to help Tommy right now. Watching as Dream dug around in the bag he was wearing. Watching as Dream went as far to use his water to put out of the fire. Looking at where the boy and the ghost were he just smiled. Lowering his mask as he was going to leave.

“Have a good exile Tommy.” 

They two of them watched as he left, Tommy stayed on the ground. It felt so much colder now that there was no fire. He wiped his eyes, he went going to cry. He refused to. 

“Tommy.” 

“Leave me alone.” 

Wilbur tried to touch him, his heart was in peice watching the Tears stream down his cheeks. It was his job as the older brother to protect him. And he couldn’t do that.

“I’m not going to do that.” 

“Just leave alone Wilbur.” He turned his back to him. “Just go back to l’manburg with all our friends and tubbo.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I just want to be alone.” 

Getting up, watching tommy just curl in on himself on the ground. He knew he wasn’t going to move to his bed. Trying to to calm himself so he could at least grab the blanket Tommy had made for himself. 

“I’ll leave you alone for now, but I’m not going to leave you.” 

Wilbur spoke quietly as he was able to lay the blanket over him. 

“I’m never going to leave you tommy. That’s not what brothers do.”


	2. Alone

Tommy watched as Wilbur got up, he was still bouncing back from the events yesterday. Dream had come to see him today but only for an hour. He watched Tommy sit by the fire and not move. He hadn’t done much of anything since that first night. 

“Where are you going?” 

“L’manburg.” Wilbur spoke as he just smiled. He didn't need to bring anything with him. He was a ghost after all. “

“Why?” 

“I have to talk to someone.” 

Tommy didn’t question him much farther. He didn’t feel a need to. Wilbur left, he didn’t need a boat. He was a little confused about how Wilbur was able to do things. How he was able to walk on solid land and water, how he was able to pick things up and move things. he was convinced it was some sort of magic. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was going crazy, but everyone else was able to see Wilbur so that wasn’t the case. Enchantments and portals to another world existed, he was sure magic existed as well. 

He found himself randomly letting out tears sometimes. Without trying his mind would decide which moments he was allowed to cry. It was just about mid day, not that Tommy could tell time at all. It seemed like it was a blur. Wilbur helped with his tent last night. Helping Tommy move his stuff over to the tent. Wilbur has started to build something off on the other side of the shore, he couldn’t tell what. He was poking the fire and dropping leaves to watch them disappear. 

“Hello tommy.” 

He nearly screamed. Of course he wasn’t expecting anyone other than Wilbur to see him. He didn’t even know where his brother had gone. 

“Why are you here?” 

“I can’t visit my brother? No?” He laughed, there wasn’t any malice or negative feeling in his laugh. He was just amused. Actually, it might have been a tinge of sadness. “I’m sure dad would love to hear about that.”

“I’m exiled. Dad can’t do anything.” He rolled his eyes a bit. “What do you want?” 

“I told you.” 

Tommy looked at him and rolled his eyes again. Techno held back the urge to tell him to stop, Tommy was the youngest of the three and has the most attitude as well. 

“I heard you got exiled.” Techno went to sit next to him. Tommy might be in a mood but he didn’t have enough energy to get up or tell techno off. 

“Yeah I did. Why do you think I’m here and no longer Vice President…” 

“I always told you the government was no good.”

“I thought you were retired.” Tommy rubbed his face a bit. He hadn’t eaten in a day, his eyes were sunken in, he looked like hell. 

Techno shrugged. “I am.” Looking at his little brother, he lifted the dark coat that was over his shoulders. “Isn’t this wilburs.” 

“I didn’t have much of a choice. When I got here it was raining and Dream destroyed all my stuff.” The jacket wasn’t partially warm, but it was better than nothing. “He can’t use it anyway. He doesn’t get hungry or cold.” 

“Being dead will do that.” He didn't know Wilbur was ghostbur now. He had been away for so long he never met ghostbur. Just to ease his mind he lifted a hand to his forehead. “You're burning up.” 

“Maybe that’s why I’m so sweaty.” He tried to make a joke but it wasn’t a joke. He was cold, however on the other hand he could feel his sweat on his forehead and the back of his neck. 

“Are you hurt or sick?” 

“I’m gonna go with hurt.” 

Holding up his hand, he unwrapped the cloth. It was dirty and soaked in a mixture of dry blood and his tears. There was no easy way to change it since he had very limited supplies. He knew Dream was right, it would benefit him so much more if he just took shelter in the village. He knew they were watching him, just watching. Dream must have talked to them or they wouldn’t have let Dream just leave Tommy stranded on their land. 

“How did this happen?” The older of the two brothers held Tommy’s hand, palm facing up. “Why haven’t you cleaned it. You have an infection.” 

“Yeah yeah.” Ignoring his first question. 

He tried to take his hand back, a little bit of fear struck him when Technoblade held on to his wrist. Not letting Tommy go. 

“We’re cleaning this, then you're sleeping in that bed. I know you worked so hard to make. You are going to sleep and I’ll keep watch so nothing happens to you.” Tommy tried to shake his head. “You don’t get a choice. I’m not letting some infection take you from me.” 

“Why do you care.” 

“Because I’m your older brother Tommy! It’s in my job description. I care, and I never stop caring. Until my last dying breath you and Wilbur are my responsibility.” His grip tightened slightly. “Why are you always so difficult?” 

“You said Wilbur and I are your responsibility right?” When he nodded, Tommy continued. “Wilbur is dead and I’m exiled. what do you have to say to that?” 

“You didn’t need me because you had other people who cared about you. And right now in this moment you need me.” 

“No I don’t!” His voice raised as he tried to yank his hand away from him. It was no use techno was stronger than him. “I don’t need anyone.” 

“You're going to let yourself die of an infection? Is that really the way you want to go? After everything you’ve gone through? Everything you’ve done?” 

“All I’ve done is mess up! Tubbo probably hates! He exiled me! He called me selfish and childish.” 

“You're angry and full of hatred for the world right now.” He got up. Basically dragging the boy behind him. “This is getting cleaned and then you can shout until your lungs bleed for all I care.” 

He wasn't going to admit it, the water felt nice on his burning skin. He almost cried when techno was holding his hand under water, using his free hand to dig in his bag to pull out a clean rag. Trying to light rub away the dirt and leave room for healing. 

“I hate you.” 

“If dad was here he would make you clean it.” 

“Doesn’t change the fact I hate you.” Tommy was pouty now. It's like they were kids again and techno would make him clean his scrapes before they got home. “I hate you.” 

“You told me the same thing when you were ten. Go sit by your fire. I’ll clean your rags and we’ll wrap you up.” He stopped before he could dunk the cloth in the water and sighed. Sighing when Tommy didn’t budge from his spot. “Or stay with me.” 

Tommy didn’t move from where he was sitting. Watching as techno was cleaning his old rags. Wilbur was gone all day, Tommy wished he knew where he had gone. It was comforting to watch his older brother take care of him again. After he had finished cleaning the rags he let them dry, getting another spare from his own bag. Using an ointment he made from what nature had to offer. It worked really well to keep infection out. Bandaging his little brother up before forcing him in to lay in bed with a blanket over him. Tucking wilburs jacket away in his chest. 

“Get some sleep.” 

“Will you be here when I wake up?” Tommy asked like he was a scared kid again.

The fire was getting low behind techno, it wasn’t near night just yet. But the fire was providing a lot of warmth.

“I can’t promise that. You know what dream will do if he finds me here.” 

“I thought you can’t die?” 

“You're right.” He smiled a bit and tucked Tommy’s blanket around him like he was no older than seven. “I can’t. But you can, and I’m not risking your life for some brotherly bonding.” 

He didn’t realize how tired he actually was. How much of a toll this was taking on him. He could forget about it. If he was sitting by the fire and just staring into the flames, or if Wilbur was talking his ear off. It seemed so surreal. He wished it wasn’t real. He wished he was at home with tubbo and being his right hand man. He wanted to be listening to disks on the bench as the sun set. It was too much to ask for. 

He was beginning to feel desperate. He didn’t want to be alone.

“Can you just hold my hand while I fall asleep then?” 

“Like when you were younger and you got scared of lightning.” 

“I was never scared of lighting.” Tommy huffed a bit. Before he could tuck his arms under the blanket techno was holding his hand that was uninjured. 

“Right, just the thunder.” He smiled a little. “Do you remember what dad would do during thunderstorms for you?” 

Tommy cracked the smallest smile. Something he hadn’t done in days. Even one day was very odd for Tommy, usually he was a very happy person. Always smiling and cracking jokes. Always bringing the light into the room.

Dream was breaking his spirit. 

“His awful singing and dancing. He’d put on a disk and just go to town. Hopping around the living room with him until i forgot it was raining outside.” Tommy nodded and laid his head to the side a little. “I miss dad.” 

“It’s only been a few days. I’m sure he’ll come to see you.”

“Dream threatened me with him. I don’t think anyone is coming to see me for a while.”

“Dad will come to see you.” He said it with more certainty. He knew he would come to see Tommy as soon as he could, their father wasn’t one to leave his boys. “He will.” 

“Do you really think that or are you just saying that to make me feel better?” 

“I really think so.” Techno gave his hand a small squeeze. Staring at their hands as he spoke, he could almost see it. Like they were younger. Tommy would hold his hand any chance he got. “He will.” 

Techno kept his promise. He held his hand until Tommy fell asleep. He held back a few tears while he moved Tommy’s blonde hair from his forehead to look at a cut he had. He also had a bruise on his jaw and the centre of his face looked dangerously tender. 

He was just a boy. 

A boy who was being put through hell. He would admit it, his little brother was causing trouble. However did that mean he deserved to be exiled and ripped away from his home? his family? Probably not. He wonders what dream would want with him, why he was choosing to go after a child. 

He didn’t want to leave but he knew he had to. He stoked Tommy’s fire and left him a jar of the ointment next to a book with instructions on how to treat his wound. Watching his little brother desperately get the sleep he needed, techno took a small stroll to the village not too far from his campsite. Buying Tommy some bread and a few other things to help him feed himself. He wasn’t sure if Wilbur was going to come back, he wasn’t totally certain if Wilbur was real or just a figment of Tommy’s imagination. Leaving his sword in Tommy’s chest, he didn’t need it; he has more at his house. 

“Sleep well tommy.” 

He had asked the villagers to just make sure nothing came into the boys campsite. He knew he couldn’t stay, he had too much to plan. If Dream saw him here he would catch on. 

Wilbur wasn’t a figment of Tommy’s imagination. He was a ghost, he died but he had unfinished business so he couldn’t pass on. He didn’t know what it was. He left Tommy to go back to l’manburg, he wanted to bring Tommy something. Give him something to make him feel better. 

“Ghostbur?” Tubbo asked as he stopped in the doorway. “I thought you left with Tommy.” 

“I did.” He nodded as he was opening various chests. “Have you seen any of my blue?” 

“Your blue?” 

“Yes. My enchanted bottles? The ones that capture sadness?” 

“Those don’t work too well, sorry ghostbur.” 

He shook his head and sighed as he kept looking. “Even if they work just a little bit. Tommy needs at least one.” 

“I have mine.” Tubbo reached into his pocket. “It’s full though.” 

“That’s okay, I can take it anyway.” Wilbur smiled and went to take it from tubbo. “Did you use this after you exiled tommy?” 

Tubbo didn’t want to answer, he just nodded a bit. The weight of hurting his friend was too heavy for him. He needed something to help him get through the day. The glass jar was a deep blue, even if it had taken away some of Tubbos' sadness. The sadness that was sitting over his heart was dark and borderline depressive. He hurt his best friend and that almost made it impossible for him to get out of bed. He remembered that ghostbur had been giving people and how he did they were enchanted to make sad emotions easier to deal with. Tubbo needed it to be able to wake up in the morning, it didn’t take much. He was still hurting over it, but it made it just a little better to bare with. 

“Thank you tubbo.” He opened the bottle. Tubbo almost stopped him. He didn’t know the sadness collected goes into whoever opens it. “Don’t worry tubbo, I can’t remember the bad stuff. I’ll just be sad for a few days.” 

“Can you tell Tommy I’m sorry?” Tubbo looked at the ground. “I really am. I am sorry.” 

“I know tubbo.” 

“I didn’t want to do it. I had no choice.” Tubbo shook his head. Like he was telling someone to stop. Someone Wilbur couldn’t see. “I did it for the good l’manburg. I really am sorry.” 

Wilbur attempted to stop him, but tubbo turned and left the house. Walking as quickly as he can. Perhaps he was talking to himself but Wilbur wasn’t sure. He would definitely hear tubbos' voice yelling shut up a few times. He took the bottle and left, making his way back to tommy. 

Well into the night when he returned. Tommy was still asleep, Wilbur looked at the things techno has left for him. Looking in the book he sat by the fire where things were left. Reading the notes left for the youngest sibling. Wilbur wondered if techno knew he was still on this plane of existence. Probably not.

He put the book down when he heard ruffling coming from the ten. Tommy was waking up, he groaned a bit of pain. The injuries that Dream caused where catching up to him now. Putting the enchanted bottle down next to the things techno left for him. 

“Tommy! Tommy I’m back, I have a gift for you.” Wilbur spoke, stopping when Tommy didnt react to him. Maybe he just didn’t hear him. “Tommy?” 

Wilbur hated this, he watched tommy walk right past him. 

“Tommy?” He tried to reach out but his hand went right through him. 

Tommy went about his night, thinking Wilbur got caught uo in soemthing. He was cleaning his cut only because techno said so. Wilbur was confused as to why Tommy couldn’t see him. Everyone else could, he talked to tubbo a few hours ago. 

Maybe Tommy couldn’t see him because he was convinced he was alone. Wilbur wasn’t sure, he wish he knew.


	3. Love isn’t supposed to be conditional

The sound of his shovel hitting the cold dirt was the only besides the birds he could hear in the early morning. He had woken up and already fed his horse. Now it was his usual gardening and harvesting of this month's potatoes. He left Tommy with what he needed to protect himself and food. 

“I heard you went and saw tommy.” Philza crossed his arms as he watched his oldest living son. “What made you think that was a good idea.” 

“Tommy needed me.” He said it simply, he was usually very loving with philza. Today it felt different. He didn’t want to see his dad. 

“What happened to telling him to die like a hero?” 

“He’s just a boy.” Techno shook his head. “Dream is doing something to him. Tommy isn’t himself and Dream knows that.” Hitting the ground harder, dropping the dirt covered potatoes in a basket to be washed. 

“Dream is doing a lot of things. Tommy is just a pawn.” 

“I thought that too but you didn’t see Tommy. There’s something else bigger going on.” 

“You can’t risk his safety based on your gut feeling.” He followed techno while he was picking up his basket. “Are you listening to me?” 

“So sorry dad. But I’m fully grown now, I don’t have to listen to you.” 

“Tommy isn’t grown. He’s still my responsibility.” 

“Oh yeah?” Dropped the basket while he turned to face him. The sun was still peaking over the Horizon. Pulling his sword from its place holder. “Where were you when he got exiled.” 

Holding it under his fathers chin, purely to make him keep his distance. He may be a little crazy but that didn’t mean he didn’t care. 

“I didn’t even know that was happening.” 

“But you let him leave!” He screamed. He was beyond frustrated. “You let Dream take him. I’m starting to think all this shit is happening because you didn’t do anything to stop it!” 

“That is not true! You are your own people and I never controlled you guys. You think I want a dead son, an anarchist and anti government son, and a son who has no idea what he’s doing? But I can’t do anything about it because your lives are not mine.” 

“So it’s our fault we turned the way we did?” 

“Yes it is.” 

“Whatever.” 

“Listen. I did my best, I loved you three unconditionally and let you form as people. I did my best. You can think I’m this terrible father all you want.” He shook his head as he fixed his hat. “But I was there. I supported you three as much as I can. I did the bet I could with what I had.” 

Lowering his sword, he could never actually hurt philza. His father getting hurt would break his heart. If he hurt his father he’d never forgive himself. Carrying his sword in one hand while he carried the basket with the other. 

“You always hated when I was right.” Philza hummed and followed him. “You might be grown but you will always be that moody teenager. The one who never wanted to listen to me.” 

“That should have explained a lot to you about how i was going to turn out.” 

The feelings were tense as he washed his basket in the nearby lake. Tommy was the topic of conversation, he was the reason philza was here to see him. Philza didn't want to lose his youngest at the hands of Dream. He already had to kill his other son. Techno spoke quietly as he was going about his daily routine. Even with everything going on phliza wasn’t going to miss the day he always comes to see him. He was so far away from everyone else, he only knew Techno saw Tommy because Wilbur told him. Techno of course didn't know his brother was still here, well a version of his late brother. 

Whilst the father was visiting his oldest breathing since, Dream was visiting tommy. Again. 

“How are we doing today tommy?” Dream asked while he was sitting on a log ghostbur had brought for tommy to sit by the fire. “Some improvements.”

“Their Wil- ghostburs not mine.” 

Dream hummed a little bit, looking at Tommy up and down. He’ll admit he already looked rough. Honestly didn’t help that dream had roughed him up a few days ago. Holding Tommy’s face in his hand, gripping hard enough to leave bruises if he held on long enough.

“Interesting.” He smiled a bit seeing the fear in Tommy's eyes, knowing the power he had over him. “Your bruises are healing.” 

Tommy didn’t respond, he didn’t know what else to say to him. A small whimper was pulled from the boy. Dreams grip becoming stronger. Holding onto dreams wrists with both hands as if that would loosen his grip. 

“Dream please, it hurts.” 

He was doing this now just for the rush. He liked having control, he liked being in control. Tommy threatened that, to have the ex Vice President of l’manburg in his palm. 

“Dream…” Tommy’s voice was quiet. Barely audible over the sound of the wind brushing the trees around them. “Dream please.” 

Essentially dropping the boy, letting go as Tommy held his face like Dream was trying to break something valuable. Realizing that might have been a bit too much. Tommy hadn’t done anything to deserve that, not yet anyway. 

Tommy didn’t know what he was doing wrong. He hadn’t done anything bad today. He put up a little bit of a fight about his weapons again but he gave them up. He was listening and they were joking seconds before. He didn’t deserve to be treated like this, Tommy didn’t know that. He didn’t know he deserved more. He was just a scared kid who did stupid things. He missed his brothers and his dad. He missed tubbo and his home. 

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled quietly as he held his face again. “I didn’t mean to.” 

Tommy didn’t know what else to say. Maybe he believed Dream, maybe he didn’t. It was just a small mood swing? Right? That’s the only thing that could explain what happened. The sudden change in mood, Dream wouldn’t hurt anyone unless given a reason. 

“Your hand is healing nicely.”

Turning his attention away from the pain he caused. He didn’t want Tommy to think too much about it. Tommy hid the things that techno had gotten for him. Hiding the bottle from wilbur too. Given all techno left him was food, food and the ointment. 

“It’s only been a few days.” Tommy tried to reason. Like Dream would be mad that he was taking care of his wound. “It’s not that healed.” 

“Have you cleaned it yet today?” Watching Tommy shake his head Dream smiled a bit. “Let’s go clean it then. Do you have any clean rags?” 

Following the way Tommy was pointing to the chest. Tommy hid some of the stuff in a hole in the ground. Following Dream over to the side of the water, sitting in his knees while Dream started to clean his wound. 

“I can’t stay for much longer.” Dream spoke quietly. “I know it’s pretty lonely here.” 

“It’s not so bad.” 

“It’s okay. You can say it’s lonely, it is.” Dream hummed as he was gently cleaning Tommy’s hand. “No one has come to see you yet?” 

“No.” He lied through his teeth about his brother coming to see him. “No one.” 

Dream nodded slightly, agreeing with him. Like Tommy was the one stating facts when that wasn’t the case. Dream was choosing his words and phrases very carefully. He didn’t mean to hurt Tommy earlier. That wasn’t in the plans for today. He knew the bruises would stay for a little while, the traces of dreams uncontrollable need for power sitting as dark red and purple marks on his face. It’s hard to be in control when your anger rises up without warning. 

Dream said his goodbye to Tommy, telling him to behave. Waving as he got in his boat, leaving the wrecked boy to be left alone with his thoughts. Tommy just nodded and tried to think of what he did wrong. Why Dream reacted the way he did, even worse why dream changed gears and treated him with kindness. 

“Fundy has been asking about you.” She muttered as Dream stepped through the door. Looking up from her book. “You keep disappearing right when he comes to see you.” 

“Do I?” 

“If you don’t want to be with him you should tell him. I’m sick of him knocking down my door everyday.” 

Closing the book as she stood up. She wasn’t completely sure why her mother let her come live here. She lived in her own little apartment just above the house her brother shared with his fiancé, fiancé was a very loose term. Technically they were together, they never broke up and it seemed like fundy was desperate for his attention. He was taking anything he could get. When fundy was at home or asleep, Dream would slip away. Dream would be off doing something, while fundy was at home worrying if he did something. 

“I never said I don’t.” He shrugged a bit. “How’s your school work?”

“School is the last thing on my mind. Every time I turn there’s some war going on.” She sighed. “How am I supposed to even focus on school when people are waiting for when you and your friends fight again.” 

“They’re not my friends.” 

“Really? Couldn’t tell. You got one of them exiled and dethroned the boy who objected at your wedding.” 

“Politics is a funny thing drista.” He hummed and crossed his arms. 

“There’s this line between politics and ethics and power and tyranny. you’ve crossed it.” 

“There’s also this little thing called control.” 

“Right. Control, you want to be in control.” 

“This is my land.” He held his hand up. “I’m not having this conversation again.” 

“What conversation?” She practically yelled. She couldn’t stand it anymore. “I mention it then you get mad and tell me to stop. You are a dictator and an asshole.”

“Watch your mouth.” 

“What are you gonna do?” She asked, stepping towards him. “Hit me?”

“No.” 

He shook his head, the only people who could pull him back down to earth were his sisters and his mom. He never wanted to do anything to hurt them. He couldn’t possibly imagine laying on them. She thought it was hypocritical, he had gone to war with kids a year a half older than her but treats her like a baby. 

“Exactly. I might as well go back to live with mom.” 

“Drista.” 

She shook her head and opened the door again. “Go talk to fundy. I don’t want to talk to you right now.” 

“Drista-“ 

“I don’t want to talk to you clay.” Raising her voice again. She was an angry teenager who was sick of watching her brother be the reason for injustice in the dream smp. “Go”

Of course she wasn’t always angry, they came in waves. Other times she’d become a little numb to it, riding the rollercoaster that came with being dreams little sister. She didn’t want to be on the wrong side of history. 

He left her alone. He always checked on her once a day, he wanted to make sure she was okay. He had some twisted morals, this isn’t how his mother raised him to be. 

“Dream?!” Funky scrambled off the couch of the living space he shared with his fiancé. “You're home.” 

“Drista said you were looking for me.” He shrugged a bit as he took off his harness that carried his sword and axe. “What’s up?” 

Fundy immediately felt apologetic, it was a little sad how he had this boy wrapped around his finger. Fundy felt like he was interrupting his day, making him take time away from his important role. 

“I just haven’t seen you in a few days I just wanted to see how you were doing.” 

Fundy cared, something he felt like very few people did lately. Maybe that’s why he was keeping him around. It was a terrible way of thinking, he really should let him go and let him move on. But it was nice to have someone depended on you. Dream was using him to make himself feel better. 

“I’m doing fine.” He shrugged a bit. “Nothing different from the usual.” 

“That’s good.” He tried to smile, but he could tell that dream's mind was somewhere else. It always was. 

“How are you?” He asked while he let fundy unclasp his wrist support. He might be strong but when an axe is the weapon of choice it causes some discomfort. 

“Me?” Fundy asked looking up at him. He didn’t have any of his shifting on, the ears he usually has on we’re gone. Only dream got to see him like this. Well Wilbur did too since he raised fundy, but Wilbur didn’t count anymore. He’s dead. 

“Yea. Who else?” 

He cracked a small smile at fundy while he reached around to unclasp his mask. Him and Drista wore the same masks with a little smiley face. Dream told her they held more power if they remained faceless. 

“I dunno.” He shrugged a bit. 

These little bits. Small glimpses of good moments. That’s what fundy held on to, waiting for them to come. He'd wait for weeks for one good moment to come. A moment where he felt secure as if he was back in his first year being with Dream. His heart almost melted into his hands when Dream brought one hand up to cup the side of his face. Dream like him without the ears and the tail, but he knew it was just a security blanket when he left the house, just like his own mask. 

Leaning into the touch fundy just smiled a little. It. “I’m okay.” 

“Just okay?” 

He will admit, he cared for fundy. Sadly he also had to admit he didn’t care as much as he once did. There was unconditional and true love there once upon a time. But now Dream was hell bent on regaining power no matter what he did. That included neglecting the boy he claimed to love.

“Everything’s always Hectic. I don’t know, it’s hard to know I fell when things are always changing around me.” 

Dream nodde a hit, it was almost painful how little he showed affection lately. He hadn’t even been here to show him affection. He wasn’t totally sure if he loved fundy anymore. Regardless he leaned down to press a kiss to his partners lips before stepping past him. Noticing the bags that sat on the counter in the kitchen. 

“What do you pick up.” 

“Oh I was just going to make dinner again tonight.” He tried to take the bag back from dream. 

He wasn’t lying. He just didn’t want to burden Dream with cooking. He would usually make dinner every night after he finished work for the day before going to get ready for bed and leaving dreams left overs for whenever he came home. 

Fundy reaching for the bag so Dream couldn’t look in it stuck something in him. 

“What’s in here Fundy?” Holding his wrist before he could pull the bag away. 

His grip was strong. Everyone knew that. Dream wasn’t small, he was built and he had a strong grip. It hurt just a little bit. 

“Nothing.” He tried to pull his wrist away. “It’s just stuff for dinner. I know you're not the biggest fan of cooking.” 

And the other shoe dropped. Something good would happen, then fundy would do something to make him upset. Dream would recognize that he was hurting fundy, apologize and fundy would say it was fine. It was a cycle they couldn’t break. Dream was showing abusive and toxic behaviour to tommy, the only good that would come out of tommy being exiled was that he would probably stop taking it out on fundy. Of course Dream never hit fundy, he never actually struck him or left bruises. But he would yell and raise his voice. This was the first time Dream technically laid his hand on him. 

Fundy had gotten bruises from Dream before. But only when they were sparing and fundy would return them. 

He spoke quietly, he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to anger Dream anymore in fears that Dream would hurt him more. 

“Dream…” 

Fundy could see the change in his eyes. The way his eyes would turn darker when he was angry. Like something eve ol was possessing him. 

“Dream you're hurting me.” Keeping his voice quiet and soft, submissive. As if he was the one in the wrong. 

He let go immediately. He shook his head a little bit. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay.” Fundy nodded a bit. “It’s okay. I’m fine.” 

Apologizing for an abusers behaviour. He hugged Dream. Leaning up on his tiptoes to hug him. Dream wrapped his arms around his fiancé.

It wasn’t always bad, Dream wasn’t always like this. However a crime is still a crime. A sin is still a sin. He was doing things he could never come back from. His actions one day will catch up with him. For now he tried to ignore the consequences to his actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi this isn’t me shipping real people, this is me writing the story with the characterized versions and the dream smp members. And I know they said the wedding isn’t cannon but it’s interesting to think about


	4. Friends in the strangest of times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw// abuse, this story features slot of rp!dream manipulation of the dream smp members. Please don’t read if gaslighting, verbal and physical abuse tiggers you

He waited quietly for Dream to leave. As soon as he did, the door was locked and fundy slipped out of the basement door. 

_ Dream had eyes everywhere. _

Of course fundy didn’t know that they were currently keeping a close eye on tubbo and tommy. He always played it safe because he never knew who was watching him. He was quiet and quick as he was making his way to nikki’s home. 

Drying her hands on a dish towel and she looked at the door. She opened as he was knocking urgently. It was quiet but his fist kept hitting the door over and over again. 

“Fundy?” 

She barely got through his name before he was pushing past her into the house. She closed the door and pulled the blind clothes. 

“Did he do it again?” Watching as his ears shrink away as the room becomes dark. “Fundy?” 

It was like he couldn’t speak. He always went to niki when he needed someone to talk to. She was his crutch through this. He was a victim of psychological and emotional abuse. He didn’t know that, he just wanted Dream to stick around. He wanted Dream to love him again. 

He wanted Dream to want him. He wanted Dream to care about him. 

“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”

He stayed quiet. Hugging his small frame while he was trying not to cry. His urge to eat and take care of himself has been steadily declining but no one had noticed. He wore baggy shirts and his armour to cover it. No one noticed him becoming unwell. 

“Fundy?” She asked again softly. Reaching towards him. “Talk to me. It’s just me.” 

“He.” Niki cut him off since he was shaking and barely able to say one word without stuttering. She reached forward slowly, putting her hands on his arms while they were crossed, giving a physical indication he could trust her, she couldn’t hurt him even if she tried. 

“Okay. How about this, we sit down. I can make some tea and we can let you calm down.” She gently guided him to the couch. “Does that sound good?” 

He nodded quickly. Letting her touch him even though he felt like crawling out of skin today. He wanted to be anyone else but himself right now. 

Her heart hurt for him. She remembered vividly a few weeks ago Dream had told her to stay away from fundy. He used some choice words that didn’t describe niki at all. Yes she was bisexual and she like men and women. But she didn’t like fundy like that, fundy was her friend she cared about dearly. She didn’t want anything more and she knew fundy didn’t either. Even if he did it wouldn’t be right for her to even try anything with him. Not while Dream was altering his mental and physical state. It would be unbelievably wrong. 

She kept glancing at the reflection in the toaster as fundy was Fidgeting. Every sound would make the scared fox jump out of his skin. He knew Dream wasn’t in the smp today. He was with tommy, he hoped tommy wasn’t getting treated the same as him. It wasn’t fair for Dream to abuse anyone just because they wouldn’t listen to him. It hurt more to fundy because he did listen to him. He gave Dream every ounce attention he asked for, he did anything his fiancé asked. Yet he was still being treated the way he was. 

His leg wouldn’t stop bouncing. He kept moving. He couldn’t stay still, he was anxious and in pain. Dream used him for relief and that seemed to be it. 

“Do you want sugar or honey?” She spoke softly, she didn’t want to frighten him anymore than he already was. 

“Honey.” He didnt make eye contact. She could kind of tell what was going on. He had never responded like this to dreams outburst. Usually Dream would yell at him and he could come crying to niki and she’d welcome him open arms. 

He was quiet this time. 

“Actually sugar? If that’s okay.” 

She smiled and nodded. “Of course that’s okay.” 

Carefully taking the cup from her as she placed infront of him on the coffee table. Sitting in silence with him for a another ten minutes. Never rushing him. Never making him feel like he had to tell her. 

She looked at him when she saw him moving in her peripheral. He was putting the cup on the coffee table and going to pull up the sleeve of his shirt. 

“He’s never done this before.” He tilted the wrist towards her. Showing the bruise that wrapped around his wrist. “He got mad because I didn’t want him to look in the grocery bags.”

“Dream did this?” 

“I just didn’t want him to spoil the surprise I was going to make.” He mumbled quietly as he was pulling his sleeve down again. “I just wanted to make his favourite dinner.”

“Does it hurt?” 

He shrugged a little. She didn’t need a concrete answer, even if it didn’t hurt it would ease her mind if he put ice on it. She went to the fridge, sighing a little since she didn’t have any more ice packs. Grabbing a little baggy she dumped half they tray into the bag. 

“Here.” 

He took the baggy after she wrapped it in a towel. It remained quiet for a while, he just held the ice against his wrist. Listening to Nikis quiet humming as she was cleaning up a bit. She offered to put in a disk, but fundy told her she didn’t have to. 

“Well. We have had our tea, I successfully calmed you down a bit. What would you like to do today?” She sat next to him again after making sure her kitchen was clean. “We could go for a walk? Or maybe we can go see philza.” 

Stopping when he shook his head. 

“Well I need to get groceries and go on a nice walk along the prime path. And you're coming with me.” He tried to object, he didn’t want to be seen by dreams guards. “Nope. Dream can eat a whole brick okay? He’s not stopping me from making you feel better. Come on we can even get some of those little cakes from the bakery you like so much.” 

“I don’t have any money on me.” 

“Well I didn’t ask if you had money silly.” She ruffled his hair a bit and kissed his head before getting up. “Give me a few minutes to change and then we’re gonna go okay?” 

“Okay.” He spoke quietly before she got up and left. 

He would never feel anything more than love and hopefulness around niki. She was unbelievably kind and always made him feel like he was worth something. The complete opposite of Dream. He didn’t need anything more, he didn’t see her in a romantic light. She was more motherly than anything. He never had a mother, he knew who she was. Wilbur always told him about her, telling him wonderful stories about a beautiful shape shifter that trapped him in her gaze. But he didn’t know her. 

He had a lot of love growing up, Wilbur was a wonderful father then he was younger. The last days leading up to his death, not so much. Philza was a loving grandfather who always took him on secret ice cream trips and helped teach him how to fight just like he did for techno and Wilbur. Tommy and techno were interesting uncles, but never failed to love and support him. Everyone in his family didn’t bat an eye when he said he no longer wanted to be a girl. 

Even with all that love he always felt like he was missing something. 

Niki seemed to be that something.

“You ready?” She asked as she opened her bedroom door again. Tossing a sweater at him. “Take off your binder and put that on. I know you didn’t take it off last night.” 

“I did.” 

“Did you really?” 

“Yeah. Dream told me too.” He didn’t want to tell her what happened last night. It always felt wrong when he talked about being with Dream in that way. “He knew I was wearing it for too long so I took it off.” 

Niki knew better. The second he came in the door she could tell, when his ears and tale faded away she could see small hickeys on his neck hiding under his glamour. Regardless she just nodded and said okay.

Leaving the house Nikki walked and talked with him. Asking him about anything to keep him distracted. And it worked. She could see the tension in his shoulder fade away, his ears and tail were a brighter orange. He was scared in his moment while Nikki was talking his ear off and waving to his friends as they passed. Ranboo even joined them on their endeavour, being nikki’s little brother fundy didn’t mind if ranboo tagged along. 

“Stop doing that.” Nikki poofed next to ranboo to push him off a shelf. It was hard to keep him in check when they were both half endermen and he could just teleport with ease. 

“Oh come on. Fundy thinks it’s funny.” 

It was clear niki was the older sibling. They didn’t have parents. The second she was old enough she left the orphanage, they weren’t biologically related, well not the human side anyway. They had been tested on with the same endermen genes so it made them related. Giving her legal right over her half brother and taking him with her when she aged out. 

“It is kinda funny.” 

Nikki was about to push him off the empty shelf but he teleported away to the ground next to fundy. A few workers were just trying to do their job and he was making it harder for them. 

“Don’t encourage him.” Niki pointed at fundy, turning her attention to ranboo. “A child.” 

“I am 16.” He smiled at Nikki before disappearing again. “You’ve only got three years on me lovely.” 

He smiled as he used a nickname he had for her. He had a few, but he learned what the word meant when he was younger and she was his only comfort when they were being morphed with endermen. So she became his lovely and she became his light. He was really the only reason she had the Will to live a few years ago. 

“Get down.” 

“What if I don’t want to?” He asked as he was teleporting around the store. Thankfully most people were at work, only a few people running their errands today. usually he wasn’t as annoying but everyone had their moments, especially teenage boys. 

“I won't make any more baked goods for a week.” 

As soon as she said he teleported right in front of her. Scaring fundy, he was not expecting him to do that. 

“You don’t mean that.” 

She crossed her arms and held her head a little bit higher. Ranboo stood at a shocking six foot six. He was a full foot taller than nikki. 

“Of course I do. I’ve done it before.”

It was odd to think that tommy and ranboo were so close in age. Their ages where hard to explain, Wilbur always said that shapeshifts age faster than the normal human. However their life span was longer. While regular humans age by one year and their life expectancy was about 80 years old, shapeshifters are over 200 years. Fundy was born when Wilbur was 16. In human years he would only be about 9 and a half years old. But because both of his parents have shapeshifting genes he was 19 years old. He was older than Tommy who was mostly human and Tommy hated it. 

“Dream is going to kill you if he sees you here.” Ghostbur whispered as techno was hiding in the trees. Watching Tommy make another sword. “Techno.” 

“Shh.” He hushed the ghost while he was moving closer. “How often does dream visit?” 

“Oh. Almost everyday so far.” Ghostbur hummed. He had tried to get Tommy’s attention this morning but Tommy couldn't see him. 

Techno just nodded, watching tommy. He already had gotten worse, his heart hurt for his brother but he couldn’t give him safety yet. It wasn’t ready yet. He also knew that tommy wouldn’t want to go with him yet. He was angry and couldn't accept help even if he knew he needed it. Watching him hide his things in record time, he was scared. 

“Hi tommy.” 

Watching as Dream was hopping down a hill next to Tommy’s tent. Tommy’s back was turned to where Dream was coming from. 

“Hi dream.” He mumbled after sighing. “What do you want?” 

“That’s no way to greet a friend.” He clicked his tongue like he was scolding a child. “Now is it tommy?” 

He was silent for a few seconds. Shaking his head, he didn’t answer with words which made Dream mad. He was preparing for a strike, expecting Dream to grab his face again. But he didn’t. The blow never came. Instead Dream reached into his bag. 

“Here.” Holding a small bag towards him. “I remember you and Tubbo used to talk about these treats a lot.”   


tommy just stared at the bag. Confused and like Dream was getting crazy.   
  


“What?” 

For good reason he was hesitant to take it. He didn’t want this to be a trick. Dream however shook the bag again, nodding his head. 

“Here.” 

As he took the bag, Dream removed his mask. His hood covered a good percentage of his face but Tommy could see an oddly warm smile on his face.

“Why?” 

“You ask a lot of questions.” Dream hummed a little. “Come on let’s sit.” 

He didn’t question, he was learning. Dream picked the perfect time to try and morph him into nothing. He was feeling heartbreak and pain from tubbo, the loneliness after four days of no visit from friends. Tommy was desperate and Dream knew it. 

Techno wanted to run out and tear Tommy away from him. He didn’t want Dream talking to Tommy or giving him things. He knew he couldn’t, he hated how well he knew his little brother. He watched while tommy and Dream sat by the side of the water, tommy pulling out cookies and little sandwiches from the bag Dream had given him. It was a gift, a gift to trick him into thinking that Dream cared about him. 

Even ghostbur had to admit, watching tommy smile and laugh with Dream was making him uneasy. As much as he only wanted good things to happen, he could remember good things. This is one thing that made him have anxiety and hurt his head watching. 

“I have another present for you.” Dream smiles a bit. 

“Really?” Tommy perked up a bit. “You're not lying to me right?” 

“Why would I lie to you Tommy? We’re friends.” He reached into his bag again. Tommy was curious what enchantment he had in that since he was carrying a lot of things in a pretty moderately sized bag. “Friends don’t lie to each other do they Tommy?” 

“No.” He answered a little quickly. Dream looked at him again. Watching Tommy’s face change a bit as he said no, watching an emotion cross his face again. Fear. 

It confirmed all he needed to know, Tommy had lied to him. There wasn’t a need to act on that now, he wasn’t going to. But he knew. He would keep that information stored away for another day. 

Dream knew everything, he just didn’t know who had come to see tommy. 

“A music box?” Tommy was holding it in his hands after Dream had shown him. “What does it do?”

“Well it plays music.” 

Tommy nodded his head. Opening the top, inside was something that looked like a fairy. Maybe it was just a ballerina, but Tommy loved fairies. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, resting her head on top. Her wings were extended when the music played and would wrap around her when it stopped. He smiled a bit, it wasn’t playing music from a disc. Instead just a girl humming a melody, he didn’t know who. He couldn’t place if it was nikis or puffys voice. He knew what they sounded like. But it sounded new, foreign. 

“Do you like it?” Dream asked, he didn’t get a response right away. He didn’t know truly how much music affected Tommy. 

Tommy sat, listening for a little bit. About five minutes passed before he started humming a bit to the melody the girl was singing. He looked even more intently at the box when words came from the girl's voice. He was counting the minutes of how long the music track was. Ten minutes. 

_ Oh little bird how you’ve flown  _

_ You don’t know it yet but you’ve grown  _

_ Your wings fly high, your head in the sky  _

_ To you I always turn a blind eye  _

Watch as you fly away, my heart turns blue 

_ Flying to close the sun, just waiting around  _

_Waiting for you to come back to the ground_

_ Your safe at home, your safe with me  _

_If you just stay, think of how happy we’ll be_

Tommy looked at Dream before closing the box. The music stopped as he placed it in the ground. 

“Who is singing?” Tracing his finger over the delicate wood that had been carved into a pattern. 

“I dunno.” He shrugged. “I found it at a shop.” 

He nodded a bit. Staring at the box again with a lot of love, he liked the song. Sometimes he forgot he had wings. Phil used to call him baby bird or song bird because he would sing a lot around the house. It reminded him of his family. He missed them. 

“I like it a lot.” Looked up for a second, he couldn’t tell what emotion he had in his face. “Thank you.” 

“Your welcome tommy.” 

Dream liked being depended on, he liked being loved. He couldn’t find that in many places, he found it with fundy. But he was bored of fundy, his sister always fought with him. Tommy was exiled, no one had come to see him yet. Dream was like Tommy’s only friend, dream like that. He wanted to have someone need him. 

No one could understand his thoughts, not even Dream himself. He went about things in the most fucked up way. Any normal person would grow a friendship with people. But Dream couldn’t. He couldn't let people think he cared, he couldn’t have attachments. If someone depended on him but he didn’t depend on anyone they couldn’t hurt him. He needed the dream smp united again but without any losses. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. He once was kind

“Out of my way.” Philza pushed Dream from his front door. “You can’t stop me.”

“Oh but I can.” Dream stood his ground. Crossing his arms. He didn’t move much from Philzas attempt to move him.

He couldn’t Intimidate Philza like he could other people. Phil was older, he was more skilled than him. Phil wasn’t scared of him. He followed the rules because in the moment it was best for his kids. If he followed the rules of l’manburg there was no reason for them to go after techno. Tommy was in the government so he didn’t have to worry about him. But now Tommy was exiled, the only people who had seen him was techno. 

“No you can’t. I’m not scared of you.”

“Maybe. But I think you’d be scared of what I’m capable of.” He hummed his hand resting securely on his axe. “Let’s look over what has happened so far okay? First, ive been with your grandson for about three years now right? We were going to get married but then George interrupted that. Remember how sad fundy was, he thought I was going to leave him. But I didn’t, I stayed. And I have his poor little soul trapped under my finger. You should tread lightly, I could break him and he’d never recover. What next, your son, fundys dad. He went crazy, he told everyone he was going to blow up l’manburg long before he did it. No one listened, so what happened? You kill your own son. How does that make you feel.” 

“Shut-“

Dream cut him off. “I’m not finished. You haven’t forgotten out history yet have you? There’s so much more to come. Your own sons on separate sides of war. Before all this we watched techno take one of Tommy’s best friends lives right? He shot tubbo in front of everyone. Everyone! Didn't techno also try to kill him. Telling him to die like a hero? He did that. I remember it vividly. Now fast forwarding again, Tommy burned down George’s house. He says he did it alone, and he said he was bored. Now I wouldn’t have had to exile him if he just knew his place. If he knew that as Vice President that’s not something he’s allowed to do it would have been fine. But he threatened me. Tubbo was given a choice, tubbo is basically your son too right? Your raised him?” 

Phil looked like he was about to do soemthing he’d regret. He didn’t answer Dream, they both knew he knew the answer. 

“Sorry i couldnt to hear that. Did you raise him?” 

Clenching his fists as he spoke. “Yes.” 

“Perfect. So tubbo was given a choice. Exile him or I slaughter every man, woman, and child who have taken citizenship in l’manburg. Now, Tommy is exiled. He’s alone. Anyone can go see him if he’d like, just. Not. You.” Bringing his finger to poke his chest with the last three words. “Do you understand that?” 

“He’s my boy, you can’t stop me.” 

“Fine you get to make a choice too.” Dream cracked his signature crooked smile. “You go see him. Fine. But for every hour you are there an innocent life gets taken and for a cherry on top if you help him in anyway. I’ll be sure to rip his lovely wings out.” 

“You wouldn’t.” 

“Oh but I would.” Holding up his hand as Phil was about to pull out his sword. “I’ll rip them out in front of you and your other boys. You all get to watch your precious song bird never fly again.” 

Phil knew Dream wasn’t bluffing. whatever he wanted, he got. And now it was keeping Phil from seeing his boy. He just wanted to see Tommy. Give him a hug. Tell him everything was going to be okay and that he would get him home one day. He just wanted to hold him again, it had only been a few days but a few days felt like years. 

“The choice is yours Philza. Have innocent blood on your hands and Tommy’s wings. Or stay here, keep your head down and no one gets hurt.” He took a step toward the Man. “Now what’s it going to be? Tommy or l’manburg.” 

He was quiet. Tubbo already picked l’manburg over Tommy, that’s how tommy saw it. He was hurt, what would Tommy think if he chose l’manburg over him too. It would probably break Tommy’s heart. He couldn’t do it. Tommy’s life or so many others. The humane thing to do was choose l’manburg. So he did. He chose the innocent lives over his son.

He stepped back. He stepped down. 

“Good choice.” Dream removed his hand from the axe. “Always a pleasure talking to you.”

Philza watched the door close as Dream left. He hated Dream. Dream hummed to himself quietly as he walked away from his house. He smiled a bit when he was about to pass by the marketplace. 

“What are you doing so far away from home?” Leaning on a counter, staring at fundy. “You didn’t tell me you’d be in l’manburg today.” 

“Oh I’m sorry.” He didn’t make eye contact. “N- I was just getting some flowers and stuff.” 

Dream picked up the start of Nikis name. He wasn’t going to say anything, not yet anyway. 

“How come? For what?” He asked while he picked up a single white daisy. Twisting between his thumb and middle finger. 

“Ours at home are starting to wilt.” Fundy kept his head down. “The florist was out of the tiger Lilly’s you like. I figured I could talk a small walk here.” 

Dream reached into his pocket, dropping a few coins on the counter before taking the daisy. Snapping the step shorter before he tucked it behind fundys ear. 

“That’s very considerate.” 

“I just want to make sure our home looks nice.” 

Dream just smiled. “Any other plans for today?” 

“I might bake. Bring purpled some cookies.” Fundy shrugged a bit. “You know a thank for being so helpful with you.” 

“Okay, have fun. Tell him I say hi.” He stood up from the counter. The girl behind it looked a Bit scared. Everyone was scared of Dream. “I’ll see you at home?” 

“Yeah.” He nodded and was a bit surprised when Dream gave a little sack of coins. 

Dream was in a little phase of kindness. His anger and temper was being taken out on tommy. Even if he wasn’t physically hurting Tommy, manipulating was giving him a rush. 

Leaning down he kissed fundys cheek before walking off. He nodded at George and sapnap as he passed. He may have broken up their friendship, but he had so many people wrapped around his finger. That included the boy he was truly in love with. At least he thought. Dream didn’t really know what love felt like.

“Don’t.” Sapnap grabbed George's arm. Redirecting him away from Dream. “He’s not worth it.” 

“I wasn’t going to do anything?” 

“Mmhm that’s why your always running off somewhere?” He rolled his eyes as he continued walking. “Come on. We’re just here to get stuff for dinner that’s it. Dream made his choice when he dethroned you.”

Looking around the little market place. Each stand offers a different good. Dream seemed to always Disappear in crowds. One second George could see the green hoodie, the next he was gone.

“I know.” While sapnap kept walking George couldn’t help but keep looking as dreamed walked away. “Do you think he meant it?” 

“What? Not caring about us or taking your throne away?” 

“Both?” George handed the women behind the counter a coin in exchange for a bag of potatoes.

Sap sighed a little bit. “I know you love him. Or you think you love him. He made his choice okay? He made it obvious those discs are the only thing he cares about.” 

George got caught up in his own thoughts again. He would over think about dream, always and constantly. He had so much guilt that ate him alive for what he did at fundys wedding. It wasn’t his fault, Dream was good at getting stuck in people’s head. It was his specialty. He never wanted to hurt fundy. Fundy was one of his best friends; George was so happy for fundy. when he started dating Dream. Dream seemed so happy. He didn’t mean to fall for Dream, he wished he didn’t. It was horrible. It was even worse how Dream conditioned him into thinking it was okay they snuck around as long as they didn’t tell fundy. 

He knew it was wrong but he wanted what they had a few months ago back. He shouldn’t want it. Dream was good at making people want him. 

_ “Good morning.” He was grumpy, it wasn’t even morning in anyway. He woke up Because construction in the smp was loud. “Why are you awake?”  _

_ Rubbing his upper back, watching George snuggle more into his side. Honestly he knew George hadn’t been sleeping. Being a king is hard. He was stressed, he just wanted him to rest.  _

_ “Couldn’t sleep.” Dream shrugged a bit as turned his head to look at him. “You almost slept for four hours.” _

_ Dream was basically his personal guard, although there were so many other people assigned to the king's safety. Dream insisted that he was in charge of his king's care and safety.  _

_ “Did you at least try?”  _

_ Sitting up as he pushed the blanket off, Dream was under the blankets. It was weird to see him with no armour. He was so vulnerable and it made George feel special.  _

_ “I’ll sleep later.”  _

_ “When you’re at home with fundy?”  _

_ He looked at George. Like he said something he wasn’t supposed to. George sighed before dropping back against the bed again. Turning his back to dream. No matter what they did, Dream never slept around George anymore. They could be sparing or doing other things that George kept to himself and behind closed doors; he still wouldn’t sleep. Like he didn’t want to have his guard down around George.  _

_ “George-“  _

_ “Yeah yeah I know.” He shook his head. “He’s your fiancé.” _

_ “George.” He said in a bit of a warning tone.  _

_ “No it’s fine. I know.” He shrugged a bit. “He’s your fiancé. I know I’m just your side thing.”  _

_ It was twisted that Dream made George feel okay with being a second choice. Being okay with actively cheating on fundy with him. It was fine because they were best friends…. right?  _

_ “You're my best friend George.” He spoke quietly before leaning down. Moving his hand down the side of George’s rib cage softly. “You mean so much to me. You know that right?”  _

_ When he didn’t answer he proceeded to kiss the other man's cheek. George hated how easily he gave in to his touch. Making the lonely king feel loved, making him feel wanted. He wasn’t “desirable.” Dream made him feel desirable.  _

_ “You know I would go crazy if you weren’t in my life.” He cracked a small smile as George leaned back into the touch. “Come on now, you know there’s no one like you in my life.”  _

He hated the validation he needed from Dream, the validation of being enough. But he never was enough. No one was ever enough for Dream. Not fundy, not sapnap, not George, no one. 

As much as Dream had George wrapped around his finger. It hurt more to think of the years he threw away with sapnap. They used to be so close. Sapnap was basically family. 

_ “I don’t think it’s nice when you say stuff like that.” He spoke and shook his head. Being eleven years old and rather kind and welcoming. Sometimes it took a little bit for him to knock sense into dream. “So what if he wants to shift. He can shift.”  _

_ “I know. There’s nothing wrong with that. I just don’t know why he has to wear those ears all the time.”  _

_ Sapnap rolled his eyes as he closed his textbook. “We go to school with a literal demon and you're worried about a shapeshifter's true form?”  _

_ Bad boy looked up from his own book. “Hey! I’m right here.”  _

_ Dream ignored badboyhalos outburst. Looking at Sapnap after looking across the class at a boy who had elf like ears. “We don’t know what he looks like.”  _

_ “He can look however he’d like.” Bad boy shrugged. “Everyone looks different. It’s important to remember to accept people of all shapes and sizes. Any race or breed.” _

_ “Why are you so nice?” Dream used his pencil to poke at one of badboys horns. “I thought you were a demon.” _

_ “Don’t do that!” He covered them. Not that it felt weird, he just didn’t like his horns being touched. “You know I don’t like when you do that.”  _

_ “You didn’t answer my question.” Smiling a bit from under his mask. “Why are you so nice.”  _

_ “I’m only half demon.” He frowned a little.  _

_ “Leave him alone dream.” Sapnap shook his head.  _

_ Huffing as he dropped his pencil. It was recent that Dream had dawned his white smiley face mask. While Sapnap and Dream went to school with the other kids, techno and Wilbur didn’t. Those two were homeschooled. They were also older than the group. While they were 11 years old, the twins were 14 years old. The twins were helping their dad with their little brother, it seemed as he was growing Tommy was becoming a handful. Ontop of that Dream heard philza had adopted another boy.  _

_ He only knew all this due to that fact he was friends with techno. Only techno. Everyone else was scared of him. Techno was scary. _

_ “I think I’m gonna go see techno tonight.” Dream spoke up.  _

_ “What?” Sapnap turned his attention back to the masked boy. Knowing that was a bad idea, all he ever wanted was to protect his friend.  _

_ Especially after last time. Seeing Dream hurt was heartbreaking. The way he was crying as his mom was trying to calm him down enough to get medical attention. Sapnap hated the idea of Dream in pain again. There was nothing he could do to help if Dream got hurt.  _

_ Badboy seemed worried as well. “After what he did to you last time.”  _

_ “It was an accident.” Dream shrugged as he leaned back in his chair. “Accidents happen.”  _

_ Sapnap shook his head. “He almost blinded you.”  _

_ “But he didn’t.”  _

_ “It’s not a good idea to go back there.” He was surprised Sapnap didn’t have neck damage due to how much he shook his head. “Why don’t you ask him to come here.” _

_ “I’m sure technoblade didn’t mean to hurt you.” Bad spoke. “And I’m sure he’s sorry. But have you spoken to him since?”  _

_ “We’ve written to each other. It’s fine.” He shrugged a bit. “I’m going _

_ The boy in the green hoodie ignored his friends' protests. Ignoring the fact they were scared for his safety. He saw no issue going to see technoblade. _

_ “Dream-“  _

_ Before he could finish, the mashed boy was already leaving. Dream never listened to sapnap. Maybe if he did life would've turned out differently. They were best friends and did everything together. Sadly sapnap could see the change in Dream the second he started going to see technoblade. Something in Dream changed and would never be the same.  _

  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. He’s a goner

They stood one the same way they did every time Dream came to see him. He couldn’t even tell how long it had been. A week, no probably more. Time was blending together. He has just obtained new armour; even a sword. He didn’t want to give in 

“Your stuff.” 

“But I worked so hard for this.” Tommy pleaded. Holding onto dreams arm, he didn’t want to give up what he had worked for. “Please. I’m sorry. I don't know what i did but I’ll stop.” 

Dream didn’t have a concrete reason he was taking Tommy’s armour and sword. Tommy had been here a week and a half, each time dream came he would destroy something valuable. 

“Your armour or I take back the music box.” 

Tommy felt sad, he wasn’t angry or begging. But sad. That little music box meant too much to him now. “You said that was a gift.” 

“You have a bad habit of not listening to me don’t you?” 

“Please don’t take the box.” 

“I won’t. Give me the armour and the diamond sword.” He shook Tommy off his arm. “In the hole now.” 

“I don’t have a diamond sword.” 

Dream clicked his tongue. Yet again like he was scolding a small child. Thinking about it he was, tommy was a child, young and stupid. At least that’s what Dream thought. He knew what Tommy was capable of, but if he could make Tommy believe he was small then he’d need him. You can’t rebel when your only chance at survival is a man who was once your enemy. 

“I saw you holding it.” Watching as Tommy shielded himself, ready for a blow. Instead Dream was going for a different approach today. “Give me the sword. If you don’t give me the sword tommy, I won’t come back.” 

Watching the mix of emotions wash over the 16 year olds face. He didn’t know what to say or think. He was conflicted, he had worked hard for that sword. He spent hours trying to find the materials for it, crafting it. He was proud of it. 

“You don’t mean that.” Tommy sounded like he was about to cry. “You don’t.”

“I do.” 

He watched Tommy get it from a chest that looked different from the rest. He knew exactly what that chest was, only Tommy could access what was inside. If Dream tried to, it would show him what he put in the chest himself. Others considered it magic, others knew how it’s made. 

“Where did you get that?” Dream held out his hand for the sword. However he was referring to the chest. “Who has been here?” 

“No one.” 

“Don’t lie to me Tommy.” Taking them sword from him. He would be willing to admit Tommy was a decent blacksmith. All of the younger kids he had come in contact with seemed to be effortlessly talented. They picked up so many skills so easily. It really was a quite beautiful sword. Sighing as he just threw it into the hole he had already dug. 

He folded so easily. Feeling dreams gaze in him as he was staring at the ground. Telling him immediately. Tommy didnt want anything bad to happen to his nephew or friend. 

“Fundy and ranboo.” 

“Interesting.” 

Tommy was scared that Dream would get mad at him. He didn’t want him to get mad. “I didn’t ask them to come, I didn’t have any way of talking to them. They just showed up.” 

“I believe you Tommy.” Dream reassured him before he rest of his armour in the hole. “Every lie to me like that again and I’ll make you regret. Do you understand?” 

“Yes Dream.” He agreed. “I’m sorry.” 

No matter what he did he couldn’t tell Dream about Sam.

_Tommy sat by the portal. Six days and no one has come to see him yet. He hoped it was six, it was already getting harder to keep track:He knew that they had lives and they were busy. He just wished they cared, Dream said he couldn’t come see him today sadly. He liked it when he was given the box. He liked the song and the snacks he shared with him. Dream took off his mask, he had given Tommy that trust in exchange for his submission._

_“Hey.”_

_The other spoke as he popped out of the portal, teleporting away when Tommy went to look at him. He laughed a bit._

_“Ranboo?”_

_“Hi Tommy.” He smiled as he jumped down from the top of the portal. “How are you?”_

_Tommy was about to answer, but he watched another jump out of the portal. Looking like he had gone through hell, no pun intended, to get here._

_“Why did you wait for me, ranboo what the fuck.” The fox stood up straight to fix his hat. Taking off the plates of armour and shoving them into his back._

_“What?” The enderman shrugged. “Your fine.”_

_“You pushed a piglin then ran!”_

_“Correction.” He held up his hand, taking a moment. Trying to remember a few minutes ago. “I pushed it teleported away.”_

_Tommy cracked a small smile, a little happy his nephew was here. He was friends with ranboo but he didn’t think that the half enderman would come to see him. It gave him the smallest sliver of hope about the others._

Dream didn’t leave right away. He was trying to talk to Tommy but Tommy didn’t want to talk. He was sad that Dream threatened the music box. He held it too close to his heart for someone to take it away. He listened to it constantly. 

“Tommy?” 

“Do you ever think your doing too much?” The exiled boy stared at the ground. Wishing it would fall away from under him. Let him fall into the earth, anything but this. “I’m a kid. Im 16. I should be in school with my peers-“ 

“Unfortunately you aren’t a normal 16 year old. You followed your brother around and created a country with him.” dream shook his head. “Sometimes you don't get to live a normal life tommy.”

He wished he was back at home, he wanted nothing more than to sit at the table again with his dad and brothers. Have whatever they call a family dinner, he wanted his brothers back. Techno had come to see him once and since then he hadn't been around. Wilbur wasn't around either. Lately the ghost had been having a harder time remaining on this plane. He was being called away a lot at whatever was waiting for him on the other side. He was hearing more voices, something was pulling him away from this realm. Tommy didn't know that he just thought ghostbur was leaving him, just like wilbur did.

He already missed ranboo and fundy. He grew up with ranboo, they were about the same age and they used to run around with swords and pretend to be soldiers like phliza. They used to have so much fun. Now they were all separated, his nephew could barely look at him. Fundy saw too much of Wilbur in him, his father had abandoned him. His older brother never came to see him, his friends didn’t care. He just wanted someone to care about him. Someone other than Dream. 

Tommy didn’t know how much Philza was fighting. How desperately he wanted to go see his son, knowing the child must be hurting. Even if no one could get to him, Philza was going to find a way. He was scared of dream, he was scared of what dream would do. If dream was going to hurt him, it was fine. However, dream had no heart and would hurt innocent people.

The boy was left with his thoughts. Dream having to go home again, the manipulator knew that fundy was slipping away from him. He couldnt allow that. As more time went on the more dream was losing any sense of love he once had for fundy. 

Fundy wasnt at home. He visited his uncle in exile then went back to nikkis house. Mostly because ranboo was with him. He had to drop the child off safely, even if ranboo insisted he could go alone. 

“Thank you for bringing him home.” Nikki opened the door, of course ranboo forgot his key. “Where’s your key ranboo?” 

“My key?” He didn’t really process what she had said. Looking at the lanyard that was connected to his belt at all times. On his belt he had his travel visa, giving him permission to travel between l’manburg, the greater dream smp, and the bad lands. He was missing the small red key niki had given him. “I lost my key.” 

He looked on the verge of tears instantly. He was getting worse day by day. Time would slip away from him, he’d put things down then forget where he put it. He would close his eyes and wake up so where completely different. Niki knew how hard it was for him, fundy knew how hard it was. He was very good at making people think he was fine. However he was so far from fine. 

“Ranboo.” She lifted her hands to force her brother to look at her. “It’s okay, we can get you a new one okay? If you want you can try reading your journals. See if there’s any trace of where it could be.” 

The endy boy nodded. Trying not to let himself panic, he had daily routines and he constantly wrote what he did in books. His memory was slipping away from him. He didn’t really know why he had these issue but niki didn’t. Unlike ranboo nikki wasn’t insanely tall, she didn’t have different coloured skin, the biggest difference she had was one blue eye and one purple eye. She wished she could trade places with him. 

She just smiled. “Why don’t you go, decompress in your room? Take some time for yourself.” 

He just nodded a little. Stepping around his sister before heading up the stairs. They didn’t have a big house, there were two bedrooms upstairs with a short hallway and a bathroom. The stairs were right next to the door, the living room was just big enough for a couch and a coffee table. The kitchen was even smaller, before Wilbur passed he helped install a table top that was able to fold into the wall to give her more space in the kitchen. Sometimes when she would open the cupboard she would think about how much she missed him. One of her best friends, they always joked around and called each other their soulmates. They were in a way, platonically they were each other's halves. Maybe if Wilbur hadn’t died things would be different, she could only think in what if’s when it came to Wilbur. 

“Do you want some tea?” Nikki hummed as she stepped away as she heard the kettle going off. 

“Sure.” Fundy nodded a bit. 

She wasn’t going to ask him when he was going home. She knew he didn’t want to go home. He never did. It was just hours he would sit and wait for Dream just to be disappointed by him not showing up. At least he knew his fiancée wasn’t running around with George anymore. 

Getting home, Dream hung up his shield and pack. Sighing as the lights were off, fundy wasn’t home. Knowing he should go check up on his sister, it was difficult for him. He wanted to care, he knew he was supposed to. A normal person would care about people, about things. But he didn’t. He spent too long building his land just for people to walk away from it. He decided against talking to drista today. He knew it would just end up in a fight. 

Pulling himself out of his thoughts when he heard the knocking on the front door. 

Puffy. 

She was the mother to him when his own mom couldn’t be. Sure he spent the summers with her but at a young age he was sent off to study with puffy. Puffy ran a small school for gifted kids. Dream was unbelievably smart. She used to always talk about how he could take over the world, in a joking manner. Puffy cared about him because she wanted to. He was loved by her. He knew his mom loved him, sometimes it felt like an obligation though. It was painfully obvious how he knew his birth mother favoured his sisters. He couldn’t blame her. Dream was a little tyrant since the day he was born. Drista was only allowed to come with him because his mother was more scared of him than anything. With the wars that happened and the wars to come, she knew that her youngest daughter was safer with Dream than her. He could protect her. 

“How’s my little duckling doing today?” She asked as Dream opened the door. Letting her inside with no issue. She called him her little duckling even though he towered over her now. 

“Tired.” 

She frowned a bit at his response. “How have you been sleeping? Have you been sleeping?” 

Just shrugging, Dream went to the kitchen. Pulling open the fridge while he was trying to ignore the question. He had been sleeping, it was a restless sleep. He tossed and turned all night and couldn’t stay asleep for more than a few hours at a time. 

“Dream.” 

“Mom I’m fine.” Shaking his head. “If I wasn’t I would just tell you.” 

“Your changing clay.” She mumbled quietly. Reaching her hand up to cup his face. She missed it sometimes, when he was little. How he had so much light in his eyes. “I don’t want you to lose yourself.” 

Lifting his hand to hold her wrist softly. Moving her hand away from his face, he wasn’t deserving of her loving touch. He wasn’t worth it. 

“I’m not going to.” 

He might have been a terrifying child, but he couldn’t help it. She did her best for so long to show him what he could be, that the dark thoughts he had needn’t consume him. She feared it was too late. He was grown and seemingly gave into every dark thought, every impulse. She was there at dreams wedding, the way he looked at George. He had never looked at fundy like that. She was watching him make one terrible decision after another and she couldn’t stop him. The way he treated kids hurt her, she always wanted to protect the kids. Watching the wars that had happened over the last few years were difficult to watch. She was hoping staying by his side would show him there was good to be done. He could be good. But that was hoping for something unattainable.

“You haven’t been eating.” Lowering her hand, she went to look in the fridge. There were at least three plates of food meant for Dream. “Go shower, you smell like sea water and fish. I’ll make you something to eat okay?” 

He couldn’t say no to her. He did what he was told. Leaving puffy alone in the house, he took a lot longer than he usually did washing up. Maybe he was too easily persuaded by the thoughts that went through his head. Maybe he should learn to say no. Dream would admit it, he wasn’t a good person. He did bad things, he wasn’t in denial. Sometimes it hurt him to see what he did to other people. But he was hell bent on power and control. 

_‘Tommy’s just a kid_ ’ 

shaking his head as he wiped the mirror off. 

‘ _He’s just a boy. Ghostbur said it, he has a family. He lost his older brother. A boy deserves to see his dad.’_

Holding back the urge to punch the mirror. At times it did feel like he had a devil and an angel speaking to him. 

_‘He didn’t have a choice. He was just a kid when Wilbur led those boys into battle.’_

“Shut up!” He gripped the edges of the sink. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” 

_‘Tommy and tubbo are products of war. So is nikki and jack. Why don’t you treat Niki and jack how you treat the boys’_

_‘They don’t cause trouble. Niki had kept her head down, she bakes and takes care of her brother. She’s quiet, she’s good’_

_‘So you're punishing tommy because he voices his opinions? He causes trouble? He’s a mini you.”_

“I am nothing like tommy.” His hands covered his face while he was trying to sort his thoughts. “Tommy is nothing like me.”

Snapping himself out of it when blood covered his knuckles. He wasn’t like techno, he didn’t hear voices. He didn’t get pulled into a trance that he couldn’t control. It was his conscious fighting off the bad thoughts that played through his head. It became too much, Dream was a very visual person. In his head when he’d start battling with his thoughts it would look like two people in a screaming match. 

“Clay what happened?” Puffy knocked on the door. “Clay?” 

“I’m fine.” He managed to choke out. Turning on the tap to run cold water over his hand. 

His reflection was cracked, broken beyond repair, shattered. His perception of himself was breaking. He knew that others perceived him in bad ways. Now he was seeing that too, he saw it before. Now it was just louder, screaming at him everyday to look this version of himself in the eye and wonder if this is really what he wanted. 

‘ _It's too late now. There’s no coming back, everyone wants you to be the villain, you might as well do it”_

After dressing himself, he saw puffy just waiting. She could never sit still when she was worried about him.watching her pace the living room, truly like a worried mother. Dream let her pick the glass out of his hand. Treat the wound he had given himself in a fit of rage. Puffy didn’t go home. She stayed to look after him, Dream was twenty one years old. Fully capable of taking care of himself. She wished he would go get evaluated. See a medical professional about his issues. If he did that he would have to admit there was something wrong, he was weak. He wasn’t weak, he was sick. He wasn’t mentally well.

Did that erase every bad thing he has done? No. Puffy knew this. Fundy knew this. Hell, even drista knew it. He was sick but he wouldn’t get help. Thus he did horrible things, he hurt the people he was supposed to love. It was only a matter of time before he hurt puffy too. 

It was also a ticking clock for when he would finally be held responsible for the things he had done. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Where did she go

Philza was slower than Dream. He didn’t fully trust the man. He feared he was being lied to. The only sound was the fire around them and they’re boots hitting the ground. He was wearing armour which he usually didn’t do. Dream made him put it on, claiming he was important. Today, philza was a treat. The manipulator told his victim since had been good for the week that had passed since the day that ranboo and fundy visited him, he would get a gift. His gift was his father. Only for a few hours and Dream had made Phil aware of his rules.

He can’t give Tommy anything aside from food with the exception of two things.

He can’t give Tommy any information from l’manburg or the greater Dream smp 

No fighting Dream or attempting any harm to anyone 

“So how much further?” philza mumbled. “We’ve been walking for a while.” 

He saw a glimpse of red when he looked behind them. Well they were surrounded by red, more specifically a bright red. Red that was attached to a girl, dreams little sister. The girl stopped when she noticed Phil staring right at her. She had armour plates and he could see her two swords, unlike Dream she didn’t use an axe. She chose to be trained in duel wield swords. He just nodded at her, watching as she ducked away. Staying out of sight but following the pair. 

“Let’s go.” Dream looked at Philza who had stopped walking. “Just past this bridge.”

Phil looked where Dream was walking and followed. Curious to who built this, he just assumed it was the piglins. They’d do anything for a bit of gold. Glancing behind again, drista was watching the two of them near a portal. He nodded at her as if to tell her to stay there. Knowing it could end poorly for her if she was caught. 

“Tommy is actually through this? Your not lying to me?” Turning his attention back to the bridge where Dream had already started on. 

“Why would I lie to you?” 

“To play your sick little game.” He hates the mask, he could never tell what this man was thinking. It was a smart tactic, to have your face covered. 

“I’m not lying, tommy is through this portal. He’s been very good this week so I figured I’d let him have some father bonding time.” 

Entering the portal, tommy was laying in his tent. Listening to the sound of the sea right next to his bed. He had seen ghostbur a few times today. He wanted to see ghostbur so his dead brother was able to appear. It was about midday and fairly hot out. He had the flap to his tent open to let in the sea breeze but he was just waiting for night time. He had nothing to do today. He had already written in his journal for the day, he hadn’t eaten anything but he was fine. 

“Tommy?” Dream called out. The boy didn’t have the motivation to move. “Where’d you go?” 

They could see Tommy’s boots sitting outside the tent. He was just tired, he wanted to sleep his day away. It didn’t matter, he was in exile and being good meant his emotional state was crumbling in front his eyes. Dream wasn’t the first to go to the tent, he let Phil go first. 

Stepping into the tent, tommy heard the ruffling of the fabric and turned so his back was facing the man. 

“Leave me alone.” There was no answer, Phil just felt his heard break. Tommy looked like he was wasting away to nothing. Exactly what Dream wanted. “Go away. Leave me alone. I don’t want to to talk to you today, Dream.” 

Tommy’s fear kicked in. Feeling a hand on his back, right between his wings. Phil flinches back a little, watching Tommy react. He grabbed the mans wrist, not processing that it wasn’t Dream. Tommy hated when anyone but his family touched his wings. It always sent him into a panic. 

“Hey buddy.” Phil smiled softly at him. Ignore the few scars that he got since being in exile, trying to ignore the way all light had left his eyes. “I missed you.” 

Tommy didn’t know what to believe. He was dreaming. He had to be. Dream said no one wanted to come see him, no one was his friend. No one cared. Moving his hands to hold the fragile face in his hands, Phil watched the tears start to form in his eyes. 

“Dad?” 

His words were small, his tone was quiet. Like he was just a scared kid again. Phil thought for a second, was he ever not a scared child. Sure Tommy always had something to say, he was hot headed. The father always knew it was an emotional response. It’s how he dealt with fear. Tommy always has been that scared kid who didn’t know any better. He never knew what to do, what he was getting himself into, who to trust. 

“I missed you baby bird.” Losing his balance since he was crouching, Tommy flung himself into his fathers warm embrace. “I know it’s only been two weeks but it feels so much longer.”

“It felt like forever.” His words muffled in the mans shoulder. Letting himself become vulnerable and transparent in his fathers presence. 

Tommy didn’t let go for a while. Phil always told himself he would never let go of his kids first. If they hugged him, he held on. He held on like his life depended on it and waited for them to let go. Techno didn’t like hugs, he wasn’t a very touchy person. He could count on one hand the amount of times techno had hugged him. Tommy bounced around too much to be held sometimes, other times it would be all he wanted. He remembered as if it was yesterday that Wilbur held his hand everywhere they went until he was 13. Wilbur used to be so affectionate but then he changed as he grew up. 

“Dream says you’ve been good. Not causing any trouble.” Trying to stay strong for his boy. The words hurt to say. 

Tommy nodded. “I’ve tried. He said if I was good I could see someone. He would bring them here.” He pulled away to wipe his eyes. “Why did you wait so long to come. Ghostbur said you would come but it’s been so long.” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.” Apologizing for something he couldn’t control. Feeling guilt even thought Dream was to blame. The man made him choose between his son and a country of innocent people. “I really am sorry.” 

“It’s okay. I know you’re busy.” 

The boys head dropped a bit. He was losing his self worth, techno was right. Removing Tommy’s sense of worth, taking him away from everyone who cared about him. Isolating him. 

Tommy soaked in the time he could wth Phil. He didn’t want to do anything, he didn’t want to run around or spar like he used to. He just wanted to be held by his dad. 

Phil didn’t say anything. He just held his son, rubbing back and humming a quiet song. Comforting him. Every few minutes he would move the hair from his sons face. 

“You know, I remember when you were born.” Phil started. “You were so loud, always crying. I could never soothe you. Turns out all you wanted was your brothers, wilbur picked you up and it was like everything faded away. You got all quiet, and Wilbur hummed a little tune and it was like he was all you needed. You guys were so close, even if he hated you for a few years because you always wanted to sit on my lap or cried out for me. Even if you could speak words, you always wanted to show me whatever it was that you were playing with.” 

“I did?” 

“You did.” Phil smiled more. “For the first few years you always went daddy this, daddy that. To be fair, I raised you boys on my own. I had to give you all the attention until you were four.” He started rocking Tommy just a little. “Sometimes when I look at you boys I still see the little gremlins that would run around the house. Screaming at the top of your lungs because techno was winning while you were play fighting.” 

Tommy just stayed curled up against phil. The amount of comfort he found in his father was unmeasurable. 

“And then you grew up, my baby boy. The youngest little bird of the family. You were just like your brothers. You grew out of your phase to need me. Instead of ‘dad look at this cool stick I found’ it turned into ‘dad get out of my room’.” He sighed a bit. “No more songbird singing around the house. You started being like Wilbur, just a little. You were still you, you always have been. Your too proud not to be tommy. So when I look at you, all I see is my little song bird. My baby boy. And I know all you want to do is sit here with me, let me tell you stories of what used to be. But I think you need to stand up, stretch and get something to eat.” 

“Dad…” Tommy slightly rolled his eyes. “I-“ 

“I know you don’t want to. But you have too.” He shook his head and tried to get up. 

“Just one more story.” He pleaded. 

“Another story?” 

“Just one. Then I’ll get up, before I was born.” Nodding along. “Before I was born. Tell me about Wilbur and techno.” 

Phil took a deep breath. Letting Tommy get comfortable again in his arms. Moving Tommy’s hair out of his face, it was getting a lot longer than usual. 

“I remember the day I brought techno home. Wilbur was six, your mom was still around.” He knew Tommy liked this story, Tommy was envious of his brothers. They got to see their mom. “Wilbur and your mom had just finished making lunch when I came barreling in with this little kid, he was a little timid and scared. But abandoned nonetheless. So I took him in and brought him home. After getting him checked out we found out he was the same age as Wilbur. He had all this energy the second we got some food in him. Wilbur was scared of him at first, but they warmed up to each other.” 

“Wilbur asked him if he wanted to read with him in the hammock in the backyard.” Tommy but in. He knew all the stories. He held on to them.

“Yeah, and they read for hours. Wilbur read to him, since your brother couldn’t. Not until I started homeschooling him. At first your mom didn’t really think it was a good idea to take him in. But he grew on her, he loved your mom for the short time that he knew her. Wilbur and techno ran around day after day, hanging off her as she was trying to get things done. I told you she used to make some beautiful quilts right?”

Tommy nodded. He didn’t look away from Phil, anytime he talked about his mom his eyes grew three times their size. In awe as Phil talked about the woman he never got to meet. 

“And she was a beautiful gardener. She would sell her quilts and crops in town. And she’d always come home with those little mugs.” 

“Exactly.” Phil hummed. “When she tried to work techno and Wilbur would just want all the love she could give. And oh boy she could give a lot of love. I remember when I was trying to make dinner one night, I called her and the boys to come eat. There was no answer” 

“They were in the living room.” Tommy but in again.

Phil kissed his head and nodded. “In the living room piled together, just asleep while she had a threat and needle in hand. Your beautiful mom and her boys, with another on the way.” 

“Me.” 

“Yes you.” Phil whispered quietly. “My beautiful boy, I never told you. But Tommy, you were this saving grace in the time of need. I know you won’t believe me, you never do. You this blinding light of life and love. Everything that your mother was made its way into you. I’ll admit, it hurt sometimes to look at you, to look into your eyes and only see her. I realized she left me with the best gift she ever could, you and your brothers.” 

“I wish I could have met her.” 

“I do too buddy.” 

Philza sniffled just a bit. Wiping his eye before tommy finally got up. Tommy knew it was hard to talk about. He wished he didn’t cling to memories like that so much. 

Dream had been sitting outside the tent the whole time. Listening in on the two hours Philza spent with son. Technically Phil didn’t go against any of his rules, he couldn’t do anything about it. Listening to Phil tell story after story.


End file.
